Morris Tribunal: The Garda detective linked to allegations concerning bogus explosives finds in Donegal was regarded as a high-flyer "at the cutting edge" by local detectives, the Morris tribunal sitting in Clonskeagh, Dublin, heard yesterday.
Earlier this year, alleged Garda informant Ms Adrienne McGlinchey told the tribunal she prepared and planted bogus explosives finds for Det Garda Noel McMahon and Supt Kevin Lennon. Both deny these allegations.
Det Garda Noel McMahon was an experienced city detective with "vastly more experience" than his colleagues, his former partner Det Garda Danny Kelly told the tribunal.
"He would have seen more, he travelled the country with the special task force. You'd look up to someone like that, with their experience," he said.
The tribunal sat in closed session for most of yesterday, to hear evidence relating to C77 forms, which the Garda Commissioner has deemed confidential. C77 forms summarise information on subversive activity.
Det Garda Danny Kelly, who partnered Det Garda Noel McMahon during the early 1990s, resumed his evidence yesterday evening. He was a detective garda stationed in Buncrana during the early 1990s.
He was transferred to Burnfoot in 1995 and currently serves as a sergeant in Buncrana.
Det Garda McMahon and Det Garda Seán Herrity, arrived in Buncrana on transfer around the same time.
Det Kelly and his then partner, Noel Jones, were split up, and paired off with the new arrivals to show them the area.
In July of 1991, Det Garda McMahon and Det Garda Kelly were called to Letterkenny Garda station to interview Ms McGlinchey, who had been arrested because she was seen crossing the bridge to Lifford shortly after a bomb scare in the area.
No useful information came from their questioning, the detective told the tribunal. "She'd talk about anything and everything except the reason she was arrested. She acted in a silly manner."
He said she acted "completely different" to IRA women.
However, the detective said he became convinced of her usefulness because she "could name out certain IRA members in Letterkenny known to me to be top IRA men".
Along with Det McMahon, he would meet Ms McGlinchey regularly after she moved to Buncrana.